[Dexsta]

Being a new ibook user, do i need to install anti virus onto my ibook g4? and if so where can i download a trial version from?

Many thanks

[slpdLoad]

There's no need. Your iBook is safe! You might open up the System Preferences, click on Sharing, and turn on the firewall just for good measure.

"114,000 viruses? Not on a Mac."

[pat++]

Simple answer: no. you don't need to install an anti virus. it's pretty useless.

[Dexsta]

That's great news ! Many thanks for your help.

[larrinski]

A free anti-virus program you can use to protect your Windows friends if you are a 'carrier' of a virus, is ClamXav.

[The Castel]

Antivirus is a software not compatible with a mac It's an exclusive of Winzozz user ...

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

Yes there is antivirus software for Mac

[Krusty]

I had some free trial of antivirus software through .Mac at one point. Much more trouble than it was worth: slowed up login, took time to check for problems. Never found a single problem except a few very weak warnings about how such-and-such might get on my system (which would be harmless) but could make it over to a Windows machine if I did such-and-such, jumped though three hoops, did a back-flip, and turned around in a circle while holding my breath sticking my fourth finger of my left hand up my nose. In other words ... a waste of time and my system resources.

[peeb]

Originally Posted by The Castel 

Antivirus is a software not compatible with a mac It's an exclusive of Winzozz user ...

It's available - I use Clam sometimes, because it's free and some of the companies that I work for insist that any computer connected to their network has anti-virus protection. While the Mac is not susceptible to viruses, it can pass them on to other Windows machines via email etc. In some corporate environments admins make the case that it's the right thing to do to have protection even on Macs to stop them acting as vectors. I think the chances of it are slim, personally.

[TomR]

You do not need it unless you are serving Windows machines. They suck and need all the help they can get!

Tom

[frankthetank966]

You don't need to use it from what I understand and I am very paranoid about these things. You are safe for browsing the internet off all sorts of sites even ones that are innapropriate.

[eddiejclayton]

As many have mentioned if you are sharing a network with Windows PC's it might not be a bad idea to scan from time to time. I have a linux fileserver and my macbook but the rest of the machines on my home network are Windows, I run ClamXav periodically so I don't transfer anything from my linux and Mac machines to the other windows boxes.

[ghporter]

There are a number of antivirus programs for the Mac platform, Clam is just one. And while there are no viruses currently in the wild for Macs, there's no guarantee that the situation will remain this way. Poo-pooing other people's concern about security is not very nice, The Castel.

[frankthetank966]

Is what I said true? I was told it is. You can browse (***sigh*** I hope I don't get in trouble for this) Adult sites without any problems. Virus wise and spyware and all that poop wise.

[ghporter]

The most dangerous web trap for Mac users is social engineering, followed closely (neck and neck) with "free ..." whether it's porn, warez or whatever. Mac users like people and want to be liked, so social engineering of various sorts is a real problem. NEVER give any personal information of any kind to a site that asks for it unless you KNOW what it's for and where it goes.

[Drew]

...fail

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Drew 

...fail

???